


Weiss Throws Things

by Crunchbacca



Series: RWBY Forever [10]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-02
Updated: 2016-11-02
Packaged: 2018-08-28 17:50:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8456038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crunchbacca/pseuds/Crunchbacca
Summary: Weiss is precise, accurate, and controlled. But after an accident leaves her badly injured, she finds she may not be as together as she thinks.





	

Weiss awoke to the smell of smoke and the sound of panicking idiots. Truth be told, she should be used to such rude awakenings, but nonetheless, she felt a surge of panic. Thick plumes of smoke crawled across the ceiling of her home, mingling amongst the beds and the curtains and all the things that were supposed to be safe. In that moment, Weiss was lost to herself. It was as though she was observing herself from far away, her control stolen.

 

This feeling wasn’t new. It carried with it a terrible and mocking familiarity. It mingled with a distant, and far more troubling familiarity that lurked amongst the smoke and flame. Weiss felt these thoughts conspiring to overpower her and she knew what she had to do. She closed her eyes and searched, seeking out the intruder who had taken her control away. It was herself she sought of course, but it was Weiss Schnee, the quiet and timid child. When she found the unwanted girl, she pushed her down, burying her beneath the memories of years. When she opened her eyes again, she was Weiss Schnee, Huntress of Beacon, and she was in control.

 

Her senses about her, Weiss jumped from her bed to see what was happening. Ruby was on the ground, wrestling to contain a fire extinguisher that was violently leaking its pressurized contents. Yang was waving a hand towel through the air in desperate effort to dissipate the smoke that was rising from her beloved portable griddle. On its surface, blackened lumps of what may have once been bacon were lost in a furiously dancing blaze. It didn’t take long to figure out what had happened. 

 

Weiss’s confusion become anger. She stomped over to the smoldering griddle, nearly colliding with Yang.

 

“Weiss!” Yang said, still fighting against the smoke. “Stay back!”

 

Weiss didn’t even hear her. Without hesitation, she grabbed the griddle and carried it to the window, which had already been opened in an attempt to clear the air. With a powerful toss she sent it soaring out onto the campus below, raining ungodly globules of charred meat onto the ground.

 

Satisfied with her work, Weiss turned to deal with her two remaining problems. Instead of the flailing idiots she expected, she turned to find her teammates standing very still, regarding her with wide eyes.

 

“Weiss…” Ruby began.

 

“Are you alright?” Yang finished.

 

Slowly, Weiss began to realize some things. First was the fact that her heart was beating hard enough to hurt. She realized how heavily she was breathing, gasping through gritted teeth. She realized how badly her hands hurt. She looked down at them, red and twisted. She saw her burnt skin curled back in cruel flaps. But she didn’t believe it. It was like it was happening to someone else, far away. The last thing Weiss realized is that she was not in control, and that she was very scared.

 

~

 

A dim light drew Weiss back from sleep. It woke her enough for her to realize she didn’t know where she was, then panic did the rest. She attempted to rise, but was overwhelmed with pain when she pushed against the bed. She failed to contain a howl at her stinging hands.

 

“Easy, Weiss! It’s okay.”

 

The voice was familiar, but Weiss couldn’t place it as Blake’s until she saw her leaning over her bedside.

 

“Where am I?” Weiss asked. She was too disoriented to know if she got any of the words right, but Blake seemed to understand.

 

“You’re at the infirmary in Beacon Academy. Everything is alright.”

 

Weiss utilized her steadily returning senses to scan the room. It was sleek and stark white, bathed in gentle light by the sun beaming through the lightly draped window. Weiss’s eyes wandered to the foot of her bed, where she found Ruby standing in stark contrast to her surroundings. Her hands were pressed tightly together over her mouth, her eyes wide and shimmering with incoming tears.

 

“I need to ask you something, Weiss.” Blake said. Her face was very stern, her eyes piercing. “Are you safe right now?”

 

For a moment, Weiss didn’t understand what she meant. Of course she was safe. But when she thought about it, her mind began to rush. Her heart pounded and it felt as though her throat would swell shut. She was losing control. Weiss stopped her wandering mind. She turned away from the question at hand and focused instead on this sourceless terror. She took the fear and locked it away, burying it out of sight. And once more, she was herself.

 

“Yes. I’m fine. Of course I’m fine.”

 

Blake nodded, though her face remained stony. She cast a glance at Ruby, who immediately rushed to Weiss’s side. She seemed to barely restrain herself from diving at her, instead stopping just short of colliding with the bed, dropping to her knees to meet Weiss’s eye level.

 

“Oh, Weiss! I’m so sorry.” Ruby blubbered. Weiss could see her face was already puffy and red from tears. “It’s all my fault! I told Yang to make breakfast even though I knew you would be mad and then I distracted her and everything got crazy! I’m so, so sorry! I didn’t mean for you to get hurt.”

 

By this point Ruby was sobbing incoherently, her face buried in Weiss’s arm. Weiss didn’t know how to respond. She cast a desperate look to Blake, who only maintained her stoic stare.

 

“Ruby! Honestly, please stop crying. It’s not your fault!”

“Of course it is! I’m terrible! I’m terrible and I’m the worst friend ever!”

 

“Ruby, please! It’s not as if you…”

 

Weiss paused, her mind suddenly racing.

 

“Like you…”

Something was missing.

 

“What… did I do?”

 

“You grabbed a scalding hot piece of metal and threw out a window.” Blake said.

 

“Yes… I… I knew that.”

 

Weiss’s brow furrowed in concentration. She certainly should have known that, but wasn’t sure she had.

 

“Ruby, Weiss must be starving. Could you go find Yang?”

 

Ruby was out the door in a flurry of petals before Blake could even finish.

 

“She refused to leave the room.” Blake said. “Yang went to get food for everyone, but Ruby wouldn’t budge. She should be going to find her now.”

“Oh…” was the most Weiss could manage. She was still lost in a series of half remembered feelings.

 

“Weiss. I want you to tell me what happened.”

 

Weiss could only manage to work her jaw soundlessly for a few moments. She gathered her focus and tried again.

 

“It’s like you said. I threw Yang’s griddle out the window.”

 

“I know. But I want you to tell me like you were there. What’s the first thing you remember.”

 

“Blake, this is stupid.”

“Do you feel okay.”

 

“Yes… I’m fine.”

 

“Then please, just do this for me.”

 

Weiss scanned Blake’s face, trying to read her friend’s intentions, but her probing crashed uselessly against her hard, focused stare.

 

“Okay.” Weiss said with a tired sigh. “I woke up, and I smelled smoke. I smelled smoke and...”

 

With a violent suddenness, Weiss realized that she was not safe. Something was very wrong. Her heart sank, taking her breath with it, leaving her only shallow gasps in its place. She looked about desperately, but couldn’t find the threat. And if she couldn’t see it, then it could be anywhere. It could be anywhere. Weiss’s couldn’t shake that thought. She knew she had to run, but she didn’t know where to go. As she searched desperately for an exit, she found instead two burning eyes that locked hers in.

 

“Weiss. You are okay. You are safe. I’m here for you. It’s okay.”

 

Weiss still felt she had to leave, but she couldn’t remember why. She felt the rush slowly dissipate, the sensations slowly return. She realized she was trembling, squeezing her burnt hands hard enough draw blood from her tender wounds, even with the bandages. She felt warm tears trickling down her face, not called by reason, but by some primal surge. She felt embarrassed of them, raising her bandaged arms to brush them aside. She wasn’t afraid anymore. She was angry.

 

“What’s happening to me? This is idi… idiotic.”

 

Her hitching breath broke her words, making her even angrier.

 

“Weiss, do you remember when we first talked to each other? Talked for real?”

 

“You mean when Yang went on a rampage and trapped us on a roof? Yes, I think I recall.”

 

“You told me a lot about your childhood and the things you had to go through. Some very hard things. And I can’t imagine you would have shared them all with me.”

 

Blake paused. Weiss had no words to fill the space, and could only wait, Blake’s solemnity building a nervous knot in her stomach.

 

“I don’t think anyone, especially a child, could go through the things you went through and come out unscathed.”

 

“I should have to agree. You’ll never hear me say it outside of this room, but you know I have problems.”

 

“That’s not quite what I mean though. It might be worse than you think.”

“How so?”

 

“When someone experiences a traumatic event, it doesn’t leave them the same. It’s not something dealt with easily.”

 

“I’ve had my life in danger many times. And that was before I even decided to become a huntress. I’ve long been numb to things like that.”

 

“Numb doesn’t mean your unharmed, it just means you don’t feel the pain. Did you have someone to talk to?”

“Of course. My father demanded regular visits with a psychological specialist. He brought in Atlas Academy’s most highly regarded doctor.”

 

“And what exactly did this doctor say?”

 

“I hardly think that’s any of your business. These are very personal matters, Blake.”

 

“Weiss, Atlas Academy is a military institution. Any doctor there is a doctor for soldiers. If there’s one thing modern militaries are lacking, it’s proper mental health care. They don’t want to heal you, they want to condition you.”

 

“Ugh, listen to you. Who is they? Everything turns into a conspiracy with you. My doctor was just fine. Everything he taught me has worked.”

“So you decided to burn all the skin off both of your hands in your right mind?”

 

“No! That was just a stupid mistake! Is that so hard to believe?”

 

“Weiss, why are you so scared now? You must see that something’s not right?”

“I’m fine! Just leave me alone!”

That last words had come more harshly than Weiss had intended. She had meant to be firm, but instead she sounded venomous. Blake’s facade cracked for a moment in stung surprise. It was a small slip, but Weiss saw it plain as day. It stung her a little too. She hadn’t meant to be so coarse.

 

Before either of them could say another word, the door burst open, revealing a frantic Ruby and equally frantic Yang, both of whom rushed to either side of Weiss. The rest of it became a blur of apologies and the acceptance of apologies, but all the while, Weiss could feel Blake’s stare resting on her, even as she buried the thought that everything was not alright.

 

~

 

“So, what... actually happened?” Weiss said, hesitation slowing her words. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know anymore than she already did. “I remember looking down at my hands, and then I was here. How did I get here?”

 

She kept an even tone, but the thought of lost time scared her. Her mind kept trying to hunt down the lost memories, but didn’t know where to turn.

 

Ruby and Yang looked at each other with concern, neither of them sure how to start. Ruby’s mouth worked fruitlessly, but Yang took the lead.

 

“Well… ah... after, y’know, the throwing and everything,” Yang said, her voice only thinly veiling her nervousness. “you kinda just stood there for a minute. Like, still as a statue. We tried to ask if you were okay…” 

 

Yang glanced over at Ruby, who was clearly fighting back tears once more. “And… um… you kind of just freaked out. You started crying and screaming, and we didn’t know what you were talking about, but you seemed really scared. It was really scary.” 

 

Yang’s voice gave way a little bit with the last few words, laying bare just how scared she really was. She gave a loud sniff and continued. 

 

“I just picked you up and we ran you down here. You kind of just passed out on the way. That made us worried, but the doctors said you seemed okay.”

 

“I… don’t remember any of that.” Weiss said. There was a long pause as she thought, brow furrowed in concentration. “Thank you both for helping me.” She said at last.

 

The sisters’ faces seemed to light up with surprise at once.

 

“Don’t thank us!” Yang said.

 

“I didn’t even help!” Ruby cried.

 

“It’s all my fault!” They insisted together.

 

“Oh, honestly. Stop that!” Weiss said. “You two are such a bother. This isn’t anyone’s fault.”

“But I…” They responded in sync.

 

“No. Not a word. If I see you too moping around feeling sorry for yourselves on my behalf I’m going to have to do something drastic. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, Weiss.” They agreed with a sigh.

 

Weiss, satisfied with her work, realized she was very tired. As though she had read her mind, Blake rose from her seat.

 

“I think Weiss had better get some rest now, you guys. Let’s give her some space.”

 

The sisters begrudgingly agreed, making their way slowly out of the room. Ruby stopped beside Weiss, seeming intent on going for a hug, but stopping short. She settled for a gentle squeeze of the arm instead. Weiss was curious what changed Ruby’s mind, and if it could be utilized in the future. Yang lingered at the doorway, as if she were thinking of something to say, but merely gave a timid goodbye wave before ducking out. Blake stopped as well, looking back at Weiss. She didn’t say a word, but Weiss knew what she meant. Blake knew things were not okay. Maybe the other two had a sense of it, but Blake was certain. More certain than Weiss it seemed. The first thing that came to her mind when she say Blake’s look was a list of excuses. A list of reasons everything was fine. Nowhere in her mind could she even find an idea of what might be wrong. And why was that? Why couldn’t she bring herself to even look for a problem?

 

Before she could defend herself from the nonexistent accusations, Blake was gone, and Weiss was left alone. It was only a few minutes before Weiss realized how unbearable this was. Tired, but to anxious to sleep. Lonely, but to scared to call for company. And so she lay awake, alone with her thoughts, and she cried, for reasons she couldn’t fathom.

 

~

 

Beacon’s medical facilities were state of the art, on par with even Atlesian technology, and for this Weiss was grateful. After conversing with her doctors, she learned she had third degree burns on both her hands. Only the quick response time of her friends and the application of highly advanced aura-enhancing restorative equipment prevented major contractures that could have spelled the end of her career as a huntress. Even so, she was informed that without surgery, there would be significant scarring. Even then, full cosmetic repair would be challenging.

 

Weiss couldn’t help but scold herself. She felt foolish to begin with, but she didn’t know the damage would be so permanent. She required her doctor to promise that he would not contact her family about the matter, insisting that she would handle it herself. He agreed, albeit begrudgingly. She was kept several days longer while her healing was monitored. Her teammates visited regularly, insistent on keeping her company whenever possible. Ruby didn’t seem quite so sad anymore, but rather animated, constantly searching for ways to make Weiss smile. Yang seemed to notice her sister’s intensity, and seemed to back off on her usual contributions. She mostly devoted herself to keeping track of all the happenings at the school so she could relay all the pertinent details. Weiss found herself enjoying this more than expected. There was something strange about having the usual events of one’s life relayed to them second hand, but mostly she was touched by the care Yang took to keep her informed.

 

Weiss was nervous to see Blake again, but she bore no sign of her previous intensity. Her visits were as friendly as any of the others’, though typically calmer, which was appreciated. Often, Blake would be the last of them to leave. Always a night owl, Blake would commonly not leave until Weiss was asleep. In most cases, that would be a major annoyance for Weiss, but she didn’t want to be alone right now. Blake probably knew that somehow. She would stay by Weiss’s side, often reading a book to herself. 

 

~

 

It was three-thirty. Usually at this time of day, Weiss could expect Ruby to come rushing into the room at any moment, but that was not the case today. Ruby had informed her that her usual break was replaced today by a tutoring session with Dr. Oobleck on a subject she could not remember the name of to convey to Weiss. It was likely not going well.

 

Weiss was rather surprised then to have a visitor announced. She was even more surprised to see Pyrrha Nikos walk through the door.

 

“Hello!” Pyrrha said with a friendly smile.

 

“Oh! Pyrrha, hello!” Weiss said. She was suddenly acutely aware of the day old pajamas she wore. Changing clothes was chore with bandaged hands, and donning her usual attire would just put unnecessary strain on her injuries, not to mention being far less comfortable for lying around all day. She hadn’t expected to be entertaining such important guests. It was embarrassing, but she took solace in the thought that it wasn’t the hospital robe.

 

“I hope you don’t mind me being here. Ruby said you might like some company.”

 

Weiss wasn’t sure if she should thank Ruby or murder her.

 

“The whole team wanted to come, but I thought it best if we didn’t crowd you.”

 

“Of course not! I don’t mind at all!” Weiss said, a little faster than she meant to. “Thank you so much for coming!” 

 

Weiss couldn’t imagine why the staff kept her room so warm this time of year.

 

“Are you feeling well?” Pyrrha asked. “We were all quite worried when we heard what happened.”

 

Not many had heard what happened. The team decided that it would be best to spare Weiss the embarrassment of being as the girl who threw that flaming griddle out a window. Fortunately, Beacon’s faculty prefer to handle student misconduct in a discreet manner, including both the starting of grease fires in one’s dorm and the throwing of said fire into public areas. The team made the decision to inform JNPR of the situation mostly because they already knew through proximity more than Weiss cared to think about.

 

“I’m doing well. Much better, thank you. They say I can leave in the next couple days. They just want to be sure everything is on the right track to healing properly.”

 

“That’s wonderful! If there’s anyway we can help you transition back, please let us know. We would be happy to help.”

 

“That’s very kind of you. Thank you again.”

 

“No trouble at all. You look exhausted. I’ll get out of your hair so you can rest. See you soon!”

“Yes. See you soon. Thanks again!”

 

Weiss was actually sweating. She didn’t get it, but the moment Pyrrha came in, she switched to autopilot. It felt like she was talking to one of her father’s important friends back home. Only formalities and politeness. Talking on eggshells. It was a necessity when dealing with potentially critical business opportunities, but it was bizarre to feel that way towards one’s peer. Though, she was hardly a peer of Pyrrha Nikos. No one was, Weiss thought. That was what made her so intimidating. She was literally perfect.

 

Weiss had made her decision. She was going to murder Ruby.

 

~

 

It had been a long day. Weiss welcomed the evening’s calm, and the quiet but comforting presence of Blake, who was lost in a book as usual. Come tomorrow afternoon, she would at last be able to return to school. Thanks to aura accelerated healing, only a few weeks of monitored care were required. Under the conditions of caution and close watch by her friends, Weiss would be able to resume her life. Bandages would still be required, mostly for protection. Her hands were still very delicate, and accidental abuse was likely for such an essential appendage. Within a couple more weeks, the bandages would no longer be necessary. During that time, Weiss was to consider the possibility of surgery. Her hands were still rather misshapen, but much better than when she first arrived. It was still impossible to say what scarring would be permanent, but her rate of healing showed promise. Surgery would consist of a skin graft, borrowing some of her skin from somewhere out of sight and transferring it to her hands. There wasn’t a guarantee the transferred skin would take, but the doctors seemed optimistic about her odds.

 

It seemed like an obvious choice, but Weiss had reservations. Something felt wrong about it. But why would it? The loss of function was avoided, the rest was just cosmetic. She could just cover the damage up. Put it out of sight. And then everything would be all right.

 

Everything would be alright.

 

“Blake…” Weiss said. “I’m not alright.”

 

Blake looked up from her book. It had just been them for the last two hours. It had become a nearly unbroken ritual for Blake to keep her company at night. Usually, their time was largely silent after initial conversation had passed. Weiss tended to be tired by then, so Blake just kept to herself. Weiss had spent the last silent hour building up the courage to speak.

 

Blake moved to Weiss’s side. It wasn’t the frantic leap that Weiss’s pounding heart expected, but a calm, controlled approach. She knelt by her bedside.

 

“What can I do?” Blake asked. The words were delivered calmly and evenly, but Weiss could feel the gravity behind them nonetheless. Blake had been waiting a long time to ask her that.

 

“I don’t know. I just… don’t want to act like everything’s alright anymore.”

 

“Tell me. I’m here to listen.”

 

“I don’t know. I can’t… focus on it. Every time I try to figure out what’s wrong with me, my mind goes somewhere else. Or it just shuts down. Or I’m suddenly convincing myself everything’s alright, but It’s clearly not. Obviously not! Just look at me!” Weiss threw her bandaged hands into the air a little bit faster than she should have. She grazed the plastic arm of her bed on the way down, sending a wave of stinging through her whole hand.

 

Blake put a gentle hand on her arm.

 

“It’s okay. Just keep talking.”

 

“Talking about what! I don’t know what’s happening to me.”

 

“Just keep going. It’ll come.”

 

Weiss could only scoff in frustration. This hardly seemed like the help she wanted. But then again, she wasn’t sure what she had been expecting.

 

“I’m just… I’m mad. I’m so angry about all this. I can cover it all up like it never happened, but I did something that could have been really bad. Luck alone kept me from permanent damage. And I did it for no reason!”

 

“Everything has a reason Weiss. Nothing happens without being caused by something else. We just need to find out what it is.”

“And how do you suggest we do that, doctor?” Weiss said, with no small amount of snarkiness.

 

Blake raised an eyebrow and provided Weiss with a stern look.

 

“Sorry.” Weiss said.

 

“I suggest we go back to where all this started,” Blake said, seemingly satisfied with the apology, “and see if we can’t work our way back from there.”

 

“Right. Okay.”

 

Weiss couldn’t help but wonder what exactly Blake thought she was doing. Weiss didn’t care what she was reading in her free time, she did not have a psychiatrist’s education. Still, all she had wanted was to finally say out loud what she was dealing with, and Blake seemed to understand that need.

 

“Last time we talked, you started to describe what had happened that morning. Do you think you can do that now?”

 

“Of course.” Weiss said, but even as she tried to gather her thoughts they ran out again, replaced by little, panicky naggings. She didn’t want to think about it. She needed to not think about it.

 

“Weiss,” Blake said, seeming to notice her growing distress, “where are you right now?”

 

“I’m in the infirmary.”

 

“Why are you in the infirmary?”

 

“Because… that morning…”

 

“Not that. What are your injuries?”

 

“Well… I burnt my hands. You know al…”

 

“Your hands are burnt. What burnt them?”

 

“It… it was a burning griddle.”

 

“How did your hands touch it?”

 

“I grabbed it?”

 

“Good. Now why did you need to do that?”

 

Weiss wasn’t sure how it had happened, but she had laid out everything that she hadn’t been able to talk about for weeks. It had become more and more difficult with time to even think about what had happened, turning that morning into a half remembered nightmare. But Blake hadn't made her think about the nightmare. She had broke it down into just the little details, step by step, instead of the entire terrible tapestry. Now they had made their way to the hard part, and Weiss started to freeze.

 

Weiss hoped that Blake would come rushing to her rescue, telling her to forget about it. They would talk about something else and she would break it down even easier for her, but she had no such luck. Blake only stared, quiet and attentive. Weiss mind started to rush again. What had happened, why it happened, what it meant. There was too much to process.

 

“Weiss, we’re just talking about the griddle.” Blake said. “Nothing else. Forget the room, forget the people, forget the rest of it. Why did you need to grab it?”

 

Weiss struggled to follow Blake’s guidance. Whatever she said, it wasn’t that simple. There were environmental factors. Every little thing built into making this happen. It had to, or else she was just crazy.

 

“Don’t worry about why it happened. Tell me why you needed to do it. What did you want?”

 

Weiss struggled to follow. She struggled to push away everything that was happening. Everything besides the desire that drove her. What made her act? What was she trying to accomplish. Weiss didn’t know, but still, she spoke.

 

“I needed to make it stop.”

 

She didn’t know what that meant as the words left her mouth, but it felt as though the weight that was crushing her insides escaped on the breath of those words.

 

“Stop what?” Blake asked.

 

Weiss stopped to think again, but as she considered her words, things began to fall into place.

 

“The fire.” She said absently. “And… the smoke.”

 

Weiss only managed a hoarse squeak of the last word. In the moment she spoke it, she could remember everything. Not the morning she burnt her hands. That wasn’t what she had been hiding from. It was just another symptom of the nightmare that she carried in secret. She remembered now, and there was no way to avoid that. But there was no way to simply face this head on. No way. If she couldn’t forget, she would have to do something else.

 

“Weiss,” Blake asked, “what is it?”

 

“What?” Weiss asked, drifting back from her daze.

 

“You had to get rid of the fire and smoke. Why did you need to do that?”

 

Weiss tried to speak, but she couldn’t find her words. Instead, she simply shut her mouth and looked away.

 

“Weiss, please look at me.”

 

Weiss wanted to. She hated to turn her back on a friend who was trying to help her, but she couldn’t move. She felt a hand on her shoulder. It was gentle, but it made her whole body tense and shiver, and sent a cold ache through her.

 

“Weiss, what happened was real, but you are okay. You’re not there anymore, you’re here with me. Now tell me what happened to you.”

 

Weiss still couldn’t speak, and she felt that if she did she would vomit. She could only shake her head, a frantic plea for Blake to not make her speak. To not let these terrible things turn from memories to words. Blake did not relent. She didn’t budge. Like a stone, she was unmoved, anchoring Weiss to these things so she could not escape. If that was the case, she would have to sever their bond.

 

“Get your hands off me!” Weiss said. Almost snarled. She spun around suddenly, causing Blake to snatch her hand back. “You don’t know anything about me, so stop acting like it! Just because we’re stuck on the same team together doesn’t give you any right to talk to me like you’re my friend, so just mind your own damn business!”

 

Blake’s face changed into steely resolve, but Weiss knew her too well for that. No one else would have seen the hurt in her eyes, but Weiss did. She could see everything, and that’s how she would destroy her. 

 

“Weiss, I’m only trying to help you.”

 

“Help me? What the fuck makes you think you can help me? You’re just a faker. You pretend like you know better than everyone because it makes you feel like you’re not a mess. But you’re just faking. You fake all the time. You won’t even tell your closest friends what you really are.

 

Blake’s lips curled back in a snarl and Weiss knew she had won. Blake started to shout something, but stopped before Weiss could identify it. Blake closed her eyes and forced out a deep breath. Weiss was afraid. Blake was doing something she hadn’t expected. When Blake opened her eyes again, there was still fire in them, but it was buried. Trapped and denied its purpose. All the same, Weiss knew there was nothing Blake could say now to break through. 

 

But Blake didn’t say anything. She leaned over Weiss and wrapped her arms around her neck, holding her tightly.

 

“What are you doing?!” Weiss cried in shock. “Get off of me!”

 

She pushed against Blake, but she refused to move. Weiss was becoming angrier, struggling more fiercely, but Blake’s grip only grew stronger. Weiss began to pound violently against Blake’s back and shoulders, hammering with her bandaged hands. As she struck her, she couldn’t even feel the pain in her still tender hands. She was screaming, but she couldn’t hear her own words. She was only aware of her own fury blocking out all else. And then, it was gone. Expended in its entirety. There was nothing between her and that from which she had tried to hide for so long. And now that it was here, it wasn’t the unbearable fear she expected, but rather a heavy and sapping shame. 

 

Weiss began to cry. She returned Blake’s embrace, burying her face in her shoulder. She cried long and hard, the sort of thing she hadn’t done since she was a young child. After what felt like hours, she had at last drained the last of it. All the emotion she had buried with that memory was washed away, leaving it as just a memory. It was still painful, but it was only a memory, and it had no more power over her.

 

“Blake…” She managed at last. It was hoarse and barely intelligible, but Blake responded immediately, sliding back from her. Weiss could see the stains of Blake’s own tears. Looking in Blake’s eyes she saw that Blake was emotionally spent too. She was unsure and vulnerable now. All trace of the girl who had stood her down when she was at her worst was gone. Weiss had destroyed her. They had destroyed each other. Weiss looked down at her hands. The bandages were tattered and blood was beginning to drip from reopened wounds. In spite of her own pain, all she could imagine was what Blake felt as she rained blows on her. As she said things that must have been terrible.

 

“Blake. I’m so, so sorry.” Weiss said. She nearly lapsed back into sobbing, but her exhausted body wouldn’t let her.

 

“It’s okay.” Blake said. She grasped Weiss gently by her wrists, careful for her stinging hands. “It’s not your fault.”

 

Weiss didn’t believe that even for a moment, but she couldn’t fight back. She tried to imagine what she could do to make this right, but ultimately, she knew there was only one thing to do. She had to see this through to the end.

 

“Blake, can I tell you something terrible?”

 

~

 

Weiss’s stay was extended for another week. She was admonished quite sternly by her doctor, who now had serious concerns about releasing her to care for herself. Weiss persuaded him that she would exercise far more caution in the future.

 

When at last the day came, Weiss was pleased to see her entire team had come to bring her back to the real world. As the doctor gave Weiss her final instructions to maintain her recovery, Yang wore a grin so wide Weiss thought she would pull a muscle, and Ruby couldn’t stand still for more than a second at a time. Blake made an effort to be more reserved, but her excitement was displayed obviously in an eager smile. The excitement proved to be infectious, and Weiss couldn’t help but smile herself. She pretended not to realize that some of her teammates were almost certainly skipping class.

 

The doctor at last took his leave. Blake rushed to Weiss’s side followed by Ruby. They each extended a hand to help her from the bed. This was completely unnecessary of course. It wasn’t as if she had been unable to walk around as needed this entire time. All the same, she humored them, extending her arms to greet them as she slid out of bed. They were careful to avoid her hands as they supported her, letting go once it was clear she was solidly on her feet. Weiss gave a look of thanks to each of them. 

 

Her eyes lingered a moment on Blake. She had seen her, along with the rest of her team, as often as ever during the extra week of recovery, but only now did Weiss consider the fact that Blake had seen her at her lowest point. She knew things no one else knew. How could she still see Weiss the same way? But as she looked into Blake’s eyes, she only saw the lovingness of a friend. Blake loved her the same as ever, and no less. Weiss felt a surge of tears that contradicted with her smiling face. When she saw her friends starting to do the same, she wiped them away quickly, hoping to avoid a domino effect of useless blubbering.

 

They moved through the halls, Ruby and Yang rapidly listing their plans to celebrate Weiss’s return. Turning the corner to the waiting room, Weiss was surprised to see team JNPR waiting to greet her. She was grateful she had put on her proper attire for the trip home. She hadn’t expected company. Pyrrha congratulated her and reassured her that team JNPR was their to support her anyway they could. Ren offered his own simple congratulations, as well as a bouquet of white flowers, which Blake accepted on her behalf. Jaune kept surprisingly and pleasantly quiet, mostly just casting nervous glances at Nora, who kept constantly within punching range of him.

 

The eight of them made their way back to the dorms, talking and laughing. It seemed like only a moment passed before they arrived at the door. Weiss was struck with a sudden nostalgic reverence for where she was standing. Yang smiled as she opened the door.

 

“Welcome back, princess.”

 

Weiss entered the room, which had been adorned with a crudely designed “Welcome Home, Weiss” banner along with several other festive decorations, which Ruby jumped between rapidly to display. Weiss only stood there, looking around the room with a vacant expression of wonder.

 

“So what do you think?” Ruby asked, bolting to Weiss’s side. “Do you like it?”

 

It took Weiss a moment to register the question. She reemerged from the fog of bizarre nostalgia and looked at Ruby.

 

“Like it?” She asked with a smile.

 

She threw her arms around Ruby, drawing her close. Ruby’s eyes went wide with shock, unable to process that Weiss was hugging her of her own initiative.

 

“I love it.” Weiss said.

 

Ruby recovered from her surprise, her gaping mouth turning to a smile. She returned the hug, reminding herself not to squeeze as tightly as she normally would. Weiss was in a fragile state after all. Blake came next, putting an arm around each of them. Finally, Yang wrapped all three of them in a bear hug that Weiss found characteristically obnoxious. Nora guided team JNPR into their own room, leaving team RWBY to their celebration.

 

Finally back where she belonged, and quite literally surrounded by the people she cared about most, Weiss at last felt at peace. 

 

She was herself.

 

And she was home.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! I love getting comments, so go ahead and leave one if you feel so inclined! Thanks again!


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